Pickleball Kingdom is working on a multi-unit deal to expand in Columbus and has a similar deal in place in the Sacramento, Calif., area
The Pickleball Kingdom is ready to dominate the Columbus, Ohio area.
Indoor pickleball franchisee Steve Niehoff will lead the development of multiple locations, including dugout areas, climate-controlled courts, youth development programs, leagues and tournaments, and professional coaching and clinics.
Earlier this month, Pickleball Kingdom announced a multi-unit deal in the Sacramento, Calif., area.
“We are excited to bring Pickleball Kingdom to the Columbus community,” said Ace Rodrigues, CEO and founder of Pickleball Kingdom. “Steve’s impressive background in leadership, strategy and community engagement is a perfect fit with our mission of changing lives through pickleball.”
Niehoff, who has a background in finance from Fidelity Investments, noted that he is excited to bring the fast-growing indoor pickleball franchise to Columbus and is eager to showcase its social element.
“Our indoor court will provide the local community with a welcoming space to connect all year round, regardless of skill level,” he said. “We will attract individuals, families and local organizations such as businesses, schools and churches to parties, conferences and events. “
Pickleball Kingdom Chief Operating Officer Rob Streett said franchisor It is an honor to have Niehoff as one of its growing network partners.
“His leadership and dedication will undoubtedly propel us to success as we expand into Ohio,” Street said.
In addition to California and Ohio, the Pickleball Kingdom is expanding elsewhere: Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, New Jersey, Washington, Georgia and Canada.
Pickleball has certainly grown from a sport with a fun name to a lucrative franchise opportunity due to its multi-revenue model. PickleRage, another fast-growing indoor pickleball franchise, recently struck a deal with private equity group GreenPeak Venture Partners to open more than 500 clubs by 2029.
The campaign also captured the heart of Life Time CEO Bahram Akradi. The operator of luxury country sports clubs is building hundreds of courses. QVC also signed a multi-year agreement with USA Pickleball to sell Pickleball equipment and apparel and become a broadcast partner.
As the pickleball craze continues, another sport is quickly gaining traction in the United States—cricket. This racquet sport is popular in Europe and provides an opportunity for pickleball enthusiasts looking for a more challenging experience to take it a step further. Now, a couple is eager to help raise its profile in the United States.
“I was in France last summer and my son and I went to the local tennis club — a 10-court complex — because we heard there was a cricket pavilion there,” said Jesse Nicol, co-founder of NJ Nicol Er told Athletech News. “They converted five pitches into cricket pitches but the tennis courts were empty. We couldn’t find a suitable pitch for padel all day long.”
Jessie and her husband, former world No. 1 squash player Peter Nicol, are opening a facility in Fort Monmouth, N.J., offering pickleball, racquetball, cricket and a branch of spear physical therapy. This will be the couple’s second location after opening a squash facility in New York City in 2021.
“It’s not surprising because we fell in love with the sport,” she said of Padel. “We love this sport and when we were exposed to it, we made the decision that we had to make sure this sport was with our support in New Jersey and beyond.”
Padel Haus has similar ambitions, with its seventh factory about to open in Atlanta, Georgia.
“Given its size and the number of potential players, I think the United States will become the number one cricket market in the next few years,” Padel Haus founder Santiago Gomez told ATN. “Currently, there are about 400 stadium, but I think we can easily get to 5,000.”
